1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in refuse and recycling systems. More specifically, the inventive system involves a self-dumping bin, which unloads material into a hauling unit, whereupon the material can be compacted for hauling purposes.
2. Prior Art
The collection and removal of solid waste is a major municipal problem. For example, residential refuse is generated at an average rate of approximately 2.5 pounds per day per capita. As accumulated, loose and uncompacted, the refuse has a density generally in the range of 150 to 250 pounds per cubic yard. For the well being of the community, removal of refuse is imperative.
Traditionally, recycling and residential refuse, including garbage, trash, and other waste materials are usually stored in containers of approximately 10 to 30 gallon capacity. Once or twice a week, the containers are placed at curbside for a scheduled collection. Containers weigh approximately 75 to 100 pounds. Commercial or industrial facilities accumulate waste in larger, heavier containers.
Conventionally, these refuse containers are emptied into a refuse collection vehicle, which transports the material to a disposal site. Disposal sites could be landfills, dumps or incinerators. The conventional refuse collection method involves a mechanized unit and manual labor. A crew of three or more attended the vehicle. One of the crew, the driver, tends to the everyday operation of the vehicle, while others bring the refuse to the vehicle. The vehicle includes a hopper with a low loading height into which the collectors empty the containers.
Considerable effort has been devoted to developing devices, which increase the speed, and efficiency of refuse collected. The current efforts are directed towards automation of the collection process. These self loading devices engage, lift, and dump refuse containers into the collection vehicle. The self-loading devices include side or rear mounted arms and front loading arms. The use of such devices has increased the rate of collection.
While many improvements have greatly increased the rate at which refuse is collected, they fail to address pressing problems generated by the increasing population and the expenses related to constructing and operating disposal sites. Americans generate over 300 million tons of solid waste a year. The national recycling effort only consists of approximately 100 million tons per year, or 30%, which leaves 200 million tons of disposal entering into landfills. Recycling programs are the most logical solution to control the amount of material entering into disposal sites. In return, these programs will help decrease the cost of operating landfills and generate materials for future products such as recycled paper, plastic and glass etc.
The largest cost of recycling and refuse disposal is collecting and transporting. Curbside collection has been a growing trend. In less than a decade, the US has gone from approximately 1,000 curbside programs to over 9,000 programs. However, curbside collection is inherently inefficient. The reasons for this inefficiency are due to the transporting of source-separated raw materials and the intense labor required to collect and to separate materials at the curbside or a collection site.
Inventors are attempting to develop a system that will reduce the collection and transportation of recyclable materials. This invention could also be used for refuse collection in certain situations. One major problem is the complex and sophisticated loading devices mounted onto the hauling units, which are functional only 30% of the collection process. Another major problem is the lack of equipment which can collect, compact and transport recyclable materials without a loading device on the collection vehicles.
One method of reducing the cost of recycling is to strategically locate self-dumping bins for each type of recyclable material. These bins are located at what is generally called depot stations. These depots are normally located in heavily traveled areas in the community with ease and safe access such as shopping malls or roadside parks.
This type system has been in operation for several years. The Haul-All Company, located in Lethbridge, Alberta Canada, has a bin called the Hyd-A-Way. The Hyd-A-Way is a hydraulic dumping container, which operates with several truck models. The Hyd-A-Way containers (bins) range from 2 cubic yards to 6 cubic yards. The 6 cubic yard bins are normally preferred because of the holding capacity, which allows for fewer dumps into the hauling unit.
There are several inefficiencies with this system. The trucks, which range from 12 cubic yards to 21 cubic yards of hauling capacity, load material with a side hopper which is approximately 11/2 cubic yards. This causes the bin to dump into the hopper approximately 4 to 8 times depending on the type and quantity of materials in the bin. Each time this process takes place it has an opportunity for spillage by over filling the hopper or wind blowing small materials thus causing litter problems which workers must pick up.
In an effort not to spill the material the operator attempts to tip the bin just enough to get the material to slide into the hopper. This not only slows the process, but sometimes the material might hang on the lid of the bin. In an attempt to avoid a large amount of material breaking loose all at one time, the operator may take a shaft with a hook on the end and try to loosen the jammed materials. This causes an unsafe operation and could cause the operator to be injured. Another inefficiency of this system is the hauling units receive a very low compaction ratio, which causes more frequent trips from the depots to the recycling materials facility.
A new hauling unit is now being used that allows for higher compaction of the materials, but the transfer process from the bins to the side hopper have the same inefficiencies previously discussed. The hopper is slightly larger which will reduce the number of times the bins are tipped, approximately 3 to 6 times depending on the type and quantity of materials. The compaction of this equipment requires a very large and expensive truck and is not very efficient when used for refuse collection.